Fuel mixing
- Thread starter Ken Webb
- Start date
Help Support Intlwaters:
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2009
- Messages
- 1,546
There was a topic on this a while ago and one of my questions was, do they measure by weight or volume for the ingredients.
Last edited by a moderator:
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2003
- Messages
- 3,339
John Knight
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2003
- Messages
- 4,598
Mix mine by volume using graduated cylinders. Learned how to use them in 2 years of chemistry.
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Messages
- 2,073
Hi Ken
Always by volume, we use pyrex glass measuring cups for fluid oz. ie: 128 oz per gallon and you can figure from that your percentages of oil, alcohol and nitro to get the oz. for each percentage.
John
Always by volume, we use pyrex glass measuring cups for fluid oz. ie: 128 oz per gallon and you can figure from that your percentages of oil, alcohol and nitro to get the oz. for each percentage.
John
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2003
- Messages
- 7,159
Volume baby, lots of volume.
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2003
- Messages
- 4,192
What they all said
Jack ODonnell
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2006
- Messages
- 548
I can only tell you about the Punch fuel we make. We use a little bit of this and a little bit of that, shake it up and I almost forgot the most important part, we check the smell if it smells ok we ship it.
J.
J.
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Messages
- 2,073
Hey Jack,I can only tell you about the Punch fuel we make. We use a little bit of this and a little bit of that, shake it up and I almost forgot the most important part, we check the smell if it smells ok we ship it.
I got rid of my last Nitro Benzine in 2008, some used it just to make the fuel smell good!!
Thanks, John
Jack ODonnell
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2006
- Messages
- 548
John you are wright on the N/B, that is some bad stuff. J.
BobBonahoom
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2009
- Messages
- 532
Before anybody starts fooling around with nitrobenzene, please google it and read about it. It is very dangerous stuff.
Regarding fuel mixing, a chemist will almost always mix liquids by weight, but it has been tradition to mix model fuel by volume because it is easier to do and mixing by volume gives a higher nitro content than doing it by weight.
Regarding fuel mixing, a chemist will almost always mix liquids by weight, but it has been tradition to mix model fuel by volume because it is easier to do and mixing by volume gives a higher nitro content than doing it by weight.
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Messages
- 2,073
Bob & Jack are correct it is really bad stuff - I just never got rid of it until we moved north and disposed of it correctly with some other bad stuff that I had acquired.
Thanks, John
One of our guys tried Nitrobenzene once. Had to use gloves and a resperator as it absorbs through the skin on contact and the fumes are volitile and carcongenic. Why shorten your life for a few extra rpm. Proplyene oxide is a good additive but it's got a low boiling point and will only stay in the fuel for at best a day in warmer temps. It's always under pressure so it's not easy to handle.
I mix 5 gallons at a time using a VP Fuel container. The round white containers work best. Gets me within +/- 2% on the mixtures. The side is marked in gallons and litres. The markings on the square ones are accurate. 40/50 and 60% are easy ratios when using a gallon of oil (20%) If you deviate from 20% oil, then you have to find a graduated cylinder or mixing cups. Use a metric measure as it's easier to work with.
I mix 5 gallons at a time using a VP Fuel container. The round white containers work best. Gets me within +/- 2% on the mixtures. The side is marked in gallons and litres. The markings on the square ones are accurate. 40/50 and 60% are easy ratios when using a gallon of oil (20%) If you deviate from 20% oil, then you have to find a graduated cylinder or mixing cups. Use a metric measure as it's easier to work with.
John Knight
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2003
- Messages
- 4,598
Before you start putting in additives, best check the rule book. Most have been outlawed and if caught banishment will result. That is not even considering the health risks which are not worth it.
Jim Allen
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2005
- Messages
- 1,622
Nitrobenzene was used to keep castor oil from separating from nitro methane in fuels where the nitro content exceeded 50% & the oil content was 20%. Tether boat racers were using this chemical in the 1940's, 1950's & 1960's to prevent separation. It is definitely carcinogenic & it gave the sweet smell to shoe polish. A typical oil mix consisted of 8% castor, 10% Klotz, 2% lubricin & 1.5% nitrobenzene.
JA
JA
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2002
- Messages
- 7,124
If you have a postal scale that measures grams you can mix fuel very accurately by weighing the components.
Four liters (4000 ml) of fuel fills a US gallon can full with no air space to allow contamination, also phenolic lines cans prevent moisture from creeping in or your prope from leaching out.
For example the SG of nitro is 1.13 so for 60% fuel 4000 x .6 = 2400 ml x 1.13 ml/g = 2712g
Alcohol is .79 and most oils are close to 1.0.
Accuracy down to the 1 ml level.
I've also started adding 0.1% of amyl acetate to help keep the castor in solution, so far so good.
Four liters (4000 ml) of fuel fills a US gallon can full with no air space to allow contamination, also phenolic lines cans prevent moisture from creeping in or your prope from leaching out.
For example the SG of nitro is 1.13 so for 60% fuel 4000 x .6 = 2400 ml x 1.13 ml/g = 2712g
Alcohol is .79 and most oils are close to 1.0.
Accuracy down to the 1 ml level.
I've also started adding 0.1% of amyl acetate to help keep the castor in solution, so far so good.
Last edited by a moderator:
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2008
- Messages
- 1,754
are you using prope Terry?If you have a postal scale that measures grams you can mix fuel very accurately by weighing the components.
Four liters (4000 ml) of fuel fills a US gallon can full with no air space to allow contamination, also phenolic lines cans prevent moisture from creeping in or your prope from leaching out.
For example the SG of nitro is 1.13 so for 60% fuel 4000 x .6 = 2400 ml x 1.13 ml/g = 2712g
Alcohol is .79 and most oils are close to 1.0.
Accuracy down to the 1 ml level.
I've also started adding 0.1% of amyl acetate to help keep the castor in solution, so far so good.
Last edited by a moderator:
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2002
- Messages
- 7,124
Yes, been running 3% for years. Helps starting, idle and transition, also very important at lower temps to burn the volume of fuel we throw at them!are you using prope Terry?If you have a postal scale that measures grams you can mix fuel very accurately by weighing the components.
Four liters (4000 ml) of fuel fills a US gallon can full with no air space to allow contamination, also phenolic lines cans prevent moisture from creeping in or your prope from leaching out.
For example the SG of nitro is 1.13 so for 60% fuel 4000 x .6 = 2400 ml x 1.13 ml/g = 2712g
Alcohol is .79 and most oils are close to 1.0.
Accuracy down to the 1 ml level.
I've also started adding 0.1% of amyl acetate to help keep the castor in solution, so far so good.
Last edited by a moderator:
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Messages
- 2,073
Always a good idea to check the rule book before commenting - seems to me the last time propylene oxide was mentioned someone claimed it was not allowed by the IMPBA rule book but on further review it is allowed.
